Bush Against Romney

While President George W. Bush has maintained neutrality among contenders for the Republican presidential nomination, he privately expresses to friends his exasperation with Mitt Romney's hard-line stance on immigration.

Bush is upset that Romney changed his position on the issue, compared to what it had been when he was governor of Massachusetts, at the expense of the president's immigration reform. Bush and Sen. John McCain are not close, but the president is grateful for McCain's support on Iraq and immigration.

A footnote: The president's younger brother, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, has not endorsed any presidential candidate. But he and his political allies were behind Romney's losing effort in last Tuesday's Florida primary.

Florida Surprise
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist's unexpected late endorsement, which helped propel Sen. John McCain to a momentous victory in the Florida primary, came as an unpleasant surprise to Republican leaders around the state.

Crist had passed the word to GOP regulars that he was not making an endorsement after he shunned former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani's courtship and suggested that they also stay neutral. His support for McCain irked Republican activists who generally would have preferred former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.